Background and Objectives

The Special Rapporteur on human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation will undertake an official visit to Tunisia from 21 February to 4 March 2022, at the invitation of the Government. His visit aims at understanding and assessing Tunisia's efforts to implement the human rights to water and sanitation.

He invites all interested individuals and organizations, including civil society organizations, activists, and academics, to provide input to assist him in preparing for the visit.

The Special Rapporteur

The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. UN independent experts regularly undertake country visits to report on human rights issues. Visits, which typically last for two weeks, include meetings between the Special Rapporteur and affected individuals, public officials, members of parliamentary and judicial bodies, official institutions, civil society organizations, and academics. At the conclusion of country visits, the Special Rapporteur presents a detailed statement of his initial findings. He subsequently submits a final report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Mr. Pedro Arrojo Agudo is the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. He was appointed by the Human Rights Council in September 2020 and started his mandate on 1 November 2020. From 2016 to 2019, he served as an elected member of the Spanish Parliament. He was Professor in the Area of Fundamentals of Economic Analysis at the University of Zaragoza from 1989 to 2011, and has been professor emeritus since 2011.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

Download the call for input (friendly version in PDF): English | Français

Download the call for input (Word): English | Français

How and where to submit inputs/comments

Input/comments may be sent mail. They must be received by 11 February 2022 18:00 CEST.

Media inquiries

Regular updates on the visit to Tunisia will be posted on the Special Rapporteur's Twitter account (@srwatsan). A media advisory with additional information about the visit will be issued on 14 February 2022.

On 4 March 2022, the Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference in Tunis where he will present a statement with his initial findings. Before and during the visit, the Special Rapporteur's engagement with media will be limited to commenting on the scope of the visit, meetings held, and issues discussed during these meetings. Only at the press conference and thereafter will the Special Rapporteur be in a position to comment on his findings and conclusions.

Media inquiries may be directed to Ahreum Lee (ahreum.lee@un.org)